What's Going On In Banking

What AI still can't do is at the center of two of the biggest debates in banking right now. Stacey shares a standout Finovate takeaway: a story about a janitorial company that uncovered a business opportunity no AI agent would have spotted. Meanwhile, new research suggests 8 in 10 businesses would consider switching to a financial institution built specifically for their industry. Maybe the f...

Banking’s AI adoption isn’t frozen. It’s early, uneven, and a lot more complicated than handing everyone a ChatGPT license and calling it transformation. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant take apart the “frozen middle” narrative, explain why banks need to fund the less flashy stuff like APIs, data access, infrastructure, and process redesign, and warn that giving 500 employees AI tools could create 50...

Is there really such a thing as a "core deposit" anymore? Ron Shevlin isn't buying it. Fresh off the African American Credit Union Coalition conference, Stacey Bryant shares insights on attracting the next generation of consumers and leaders before the conversation turns to stablecoins, tokenization, Visa's $2.4 billion BioCatch acquisition, AI-powered fraud, and why the "...

Halfway through 2026, banking’s favorite buzzwords are still buzzing, but the numbers are starting to tell a less flattering story. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant revisit the industry’s biggest predictions and dig into what’s actually happened. Fintechs are eating the checking account, stablecoins are creating awkward boardroom questions, and the much-promised “AI plumbing” has finally arrived. The...

This week on What’s Going On in Banking, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant somehow connect Knicks parade chaos, a questionable trash can decision, JPMorgan Chase, rewards gaps, and SoFi’s move into small business lending. Stacey is still on a Knicks high. Ron is trying to bring everyone back to reality. Together, they debate whether a JPMorgan Chase employee deserved to be fired, why rewards programs...

The Knicks finally gave New York manners, Chase got wildly misquoted, and banks are still out here pretending branches are the main character. Stacey Bryant and Ron Shevlin break down what JPMorgan Chase’s branch expansion is actually about, why community banks should stop copy-pasting big bank strategy, and why zillennials might be the investment opportunity financial institutions keep missing wh...

What are the headlines getting wrong about banking right now? In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant take on three big debates: whether Gen Z belongs in the boardroom, why AI executive clones may be more illusion than innovation, and why SoFi’s stablecoin story is really about Galileo’s B2B infrastructure play, not just consumer crypto hype. From credit union...

Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant are back with a conversation on AI agents, vendor hype, and what banks actually need to solve before adding another layer to the tech stack. They start with Fiserv’s Agent OS and the broader AI agent race in banking, including where tools like this may fit, where the wording gets fuzzy, and why commercial lending and AML look like early proving grounds. From there, th...

A bank CEO used an AI clone on an earnings call…and that was just the start. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant get into what AI agents could actually mean for banking, from back-office automation and decision-making to governance, blockchain, and why most banks are still asking the wrong questions about AI. Real talk on where the industry is headed and what community banks should actually be paying at...

"Wait and see” might be the most expensive strategy in banking right now. In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant unpack the real implications behind Jamie Dimon’s comments and why AI, tokenization, and shifting customer behavior are forcing banks to make decisions now , not later. They break down the three battles banks are actually fighting: where to in...

Jamie Dimon just said the quiet part out loud, and the rest of the industry should be paying attention. In this WGOIB episode, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down the real implications behind the headlines: why AI is no longer a “nice to have,” how tokenization is quietly reshaping financial infrastructure, and why the wait-and-see approach in banking is officially dead. From cost-cutting vs....

Stablecoins aren’t a “crypto side quest” anymore—they’re becoming core financial infrastructure.  In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down Mastercard’s $1.8B bet on stablecoin infrastructure, why deposits may be more mobile than ever, and what banks are getting completely wrong. They also dive into: Why waiting on stablecoins could be a fatal mistake...

We’re live and in person (from the “island of New Jersey” 😆) after Credit Union GAC and ahead of the New Jersey Bankers conference. And we’re breaking down the biggest banking and fintech headlines that actually matter.  Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant unpack: Why the mood at GAC was optimistic… with real undercurrents of concern Kraken’s banking arm getting direct access to the Fed’s payment rails...

Capital One buys Brex for $5B. Goldman Sachs builds AI agents with Anthropic. MrBeast acquires a fintech. This isn’t a headline mashup — it’s what’s happening in banking right now. In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down the biggest moves reshaping financial services — and what they mean for banks and credit unions without megabank budgets. Inside t...

In this special bonus episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin, Chief Research Officer at Cornerstone Advisors, is joined by Steve Williams, CEO & Partner of Cornerstone Advisors, to break down the findings from the 2026 WGOIB Webinar Report. Based on insights from 400+ banks and credit unions , this report reveals how financial institutions are preparing for what’s next in: Artific...

Banks are racing into AI and “data strategy” — but most can’t clearly define what they’re actually doing. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down why chasing trends won’t fix broken strategy, and why specificity, execution, and focus matter more than hype. If you're in banking or fintech, this is the reality check you need.   The 2026 What's Going On In Banking Report is NOW LIVE!! Down...

A 10% credit card rate cap. Crypto offering yield. Apple ditching Goldman for JPMorgan Chase. In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down the real-world consequences of headline-grabbing policy ideas, why buy now, pay later keeps winning with consumers, and what banks are getting right and wrong about crypto, partnerships, and relevance in 2026. This isn...

2026 is here — and banking is officially walking into the unknown. In the first What’s Going On in Banking episode of the year, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant unpack the biggest forces shaping financial services right now: AI agents, crypto & stablecoins, fraud risks, fintech competition, and what banks think they’re prioritizing vs. what actually gets done. From Wizard of Oz metaphors to real-...

AI is redefining banking, travel, creativity, and how financial institutions must evolve. In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking, Stacey Bryant and Ron Shevlin dive into the future of generative AI, the creativity gap in banking, SoFi’s bold crypto move, and why most banks are dangerously behind consumer expectations. From real-world AI travel examples to new research showing massive crypto...

From the floor of Money20/20 to Wall Street’s reaction to Fiserv’s meltdown — Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s next in banking. They dive into the rise of “agentic AI,” fintech’s surprising optimism, and the inspiring leadership lessons from American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking . Tune in for straight talk, smart takes, and a little snark fro...

In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant break down Fifth Third’s $10.9B merger with Comerica, exploring why it’s less of a merger and more of a financial fusion reactor. Then, they dive into U.S. Bancorp’s bet on stablecoins and what it means for the future of payments, strategy, and tech modernization in banking. From strategic jujitsu to smart money, this epi...

From AI “workslop” to Nubank’s U.S. charter to major fintech acquisitions — this episode of What’s Going On in Banking dives into the biggest stories shaping financial services right now. Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant debate whether AI is really making us less creative, discuss why Nubank’s U.S. expansion could be a fintech turning point, and break down the wave of consolidation among the big core...

In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant dive into the biggest takeaways from Jack Henry Connect and Finovate. From game-changing onboarding strategies to fraud dispute innovation, we unpack what’s really moving the needle in banking tech.  They also discuss the emotional side of fintech, remember community leaders, and tackle the hot debate: are 99% of AI star...

In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking, Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant unpack the latest moves from Revolut, Chime, and Nubank.  Revolut tries its hand at signing up NYC commuters in subway stations, while Chime partners with Workday to reach employees — and even taps into music influencers to grow its brand. Meanwhile, Nubank continues its explosive growth in Brazil, powered by instant paym...

In this episode of What’s Going On in Banking , Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant tackle JPMorgan Chase’s controversial move to charge fintechs for data access—is it smart strategy or a threat to innovation? Then we dive into Goldman Sachs’ bold AI rollout and what it really means for the future of financial services. Hot takes, real-world analogies, and a clear look at the regulatory chaos ahead. Cha...